


'till it grows old

by annamorris



Series: to view without judgement [9]
Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, a very prevalent wooden spoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29023761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annamorris/pseuds/annamorris
Summary: Even after nine years, they're still electric.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Series: to view without judgement [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023837
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	'till it grows old

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of an anon I got that reads: "hello and can u imagine if jamie came home one day to dani cooking dinner for them and and came up behind her and hugged her and said “i’m so thankful to have a loving wife who makes us dinner almost every night” soft as HELL. no thoughts just thinking of jamie being thankful for all dani does."
> 
> Yes, yes, I can imagine that.

At some time or another, Dani decides, they should probably change the batteries in the smoke detector. She’s not sure what good it would do at this point, she thinks, observing the moderately charred remains of the salmon she had been cooking, or, rather, burning, but it feels like a good safety precaution.

Ah, well. Thursdays feel more like spaghetti nights anyway. She sets about filling a pot and digging out the jar of sauce from the cupboard. The pasta has just softened when Jamie’s key clatters in the lock. Dani listens as Jamie shuffles in, places her keyring in the bowl, and hangs her coat on the hook. The thud of worn work boots on the mat is a welcome sound, and she hums pleasantly when familiar footsteps near the kitchen. 

Jamie pauses in the doorway, the shift of wood beneath her feet indicating she’s leaning on the frame. Dani knows she’s being watched, and out of the corner of her eye, she can see Jamie wears the softest of expressions. The strands of silver in her hair catch the lamplight and frame her face, awash with a slight smile. A sigh escapes her lips, and she sidles up behind Dani, resting her chin at the juncture between Dani’s shoulder and neck. She knows Dani is ticklish there, but she still places the lightest of kisses and shifts to a more comfortable position. 

“Hello to you, too,” Dani greets quietly, stirring the boiling water. The steam dances in the air. Jamie’s arms around her waist provide a safe sort of weight.

“Hi.” 

“Good closing?”

“Mhm,” Jamie confirms easily, and even without looking, Dani can tell her eyes are closed. 

“You're home early.”

“Am I?” Jamie says absentmindedly, “Hadn't noticed.”

“You are.”

“S’pose I just couldn’t wait to come home.”

Home. A word used so sparingly throughout both of their lives. Home is an abstract concept, Dani has come to learn in her thirty-seven years. Homes must be built and then maintained. A home can be a house, but a house cannot be a home on its own. It requires people to occupy it, to fill it to bursting with vibrancy and laughter and memories and all of the things that make a place worth staying. 

To this day, Dani feels like she’s living a life not meant for her. No one person should be allowed to have so much. She thanks the universe for granting her this kindness. A wonderful, ridiculous best friend and life partner; a thriving business that they own and operate; a beautiful little apartment in a quaint Vermont town; and so, so much more love than she knows what to do with. 

The immense swell of affection she feels is impossible to sum up. So, instead, swatting Jamie’s arm with her wooden spoon, she simply says, “Charmer.”

Jamie barks out a laugh. “I’m serious,” she shrugs, “Know I don’t say it as often as I should, but, ah, you’re kind of the best, you know. And, I don’t just mean making dinner most nights.” She pauses, considering, and Dani stops stirring. “What happened to salmon tonight?”

Dani nods toward the open window, letting in a steady flow of cool evening air to eradicate the smokey smell. “Must've flown away.”

Jamie gets the gist. “Ah, yeah, flown right into the bin, it did.”

“Shut it.”

“On second thought, maybe I should start cooking more,” Jamie teases, nosing into Dani’s neck. 

“We both know,” Dani squeals, shying away, “you’re way worse than I am.” Jamie relents, and receives another swat with the spoon for her trouble. “What was that you were saying about me being the best?”

“You, Dani Clayton, are the best thing in my life,” Jamie murmurs into her hairline. Her breath tickles the sensitive spot just below Dani’s ear, and she shivers. “I am eternally grateful to have the privilege of loving you,” she says softly, “and I will spend the rest of my days earning the joy of being your wife.”

Oh. Dani’s heart soars at the admission as if it were the first time, as if it were a secret only just whispered, as if they do not already have matching gold bands adorning their fingers. She flicks off the burner and turns in Jamie’s arms to face her, pinning her back against the sink and kissing her with fervor. The spoon Dani still grips comes up around Jamie’s shoulders as Dani holds her close. 

The inches between them are electric. 

“Nine odd years,” Dani breathes, “How do you still make me feel like this after nine years?”

“Like to think I know what to say.” She winks. “Clever tongue and all that.” She pokes out her tongue for emphasis, and earns a gentle bop on the head with the spoon. “Gonna have to take that away from you,” Jamie grumbles, mildly afronted.

“You’re too cheeky for your own good.”

“Maybe so,” Jamie replies, her voice low. She flips them, placing Dani’s back against the countertop and leaning in until only a hair’s breadth remains between their lips, “but I think you know know as well as I my tongue is good for a great many things besides mouthing off.”

Heart hammering out of her chest, Dani closes the space. Her legs, gone slightly weak, spread unconsciously, as her arms drift to Jamie's hips, and Jamie mirrors her movements. So gone is she in the moment, that Dani is shocked when Jamie pulls away abruptly, leaving her with a desperate whimper dangling from kiss-red lips. 

“I win,” Jamie crows quietly, holding up the spoon she had apparently swiped from Dani’s preoccupied hand. 

Dani’s jaw hangs agape. “I...you...” she stammers, “Did you just seduce me so you could steal that?”

“Depends,” Jamie says coyly, “were you seduced?” 

Dani holds her glare a beat longer, simply for the pleasure of seeing Jamie squirm, before her crossed arms drop and she rolls her eyes. 

“Come on,” Jamie coaxes, “I’ll finish the pasta; you set the table.” She presses a placating kiss to Dani’s cheek before reigniting the burner with a hum. Dani shakes her head, watching her move about the kitchen. 

_ God,  _ she thinks helplessly,  _ what did I do to deserve this? _

**Author's Note:**

> This might be the fluffiest thing I've ever written. 
> 
> as always, drop a comment in you feel so inclined.
> 
> [feel free to chat or send me a prompt on tumblr](https://moonflowerlesbians.tumblr.com)!


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